Game 5 was important on so many levels. Coming into this game Utah had everything going for them with the notable exception of homecourt advantage. Utah had momentum, confidence, strategy, and the power of self fullfilling prophesy on their side. They expected to make shots and to shut us down, and they were doing it. It seemed like Yao, Tracy, Battier, Luther, and Juwan expected to miss their shots, and they were. Combine that with the fact that Sloan appeared to have our number from a coaching standpoint and this series looked like it was slipping away. And then, breakthrough. Last night was one of the most beautiful Rockets games I've ever seem. We powered through all their momentum and our own failure, through their double teams and our shooting slump, through their dirtiest fouls and flops, through their best, and we beat them. I don't know if we reversed the momentum, but at the very least we evened the playing field. For the first time in this series the Jazz respect us. Successes in Game 5/Keys to winning game 6: 1. Defensively we bumped Utah's guys coming off screens all night long. This completely disrupted their rhythm, tired them out, and gave us time to recover defensively. 2. In the 2nd quarter Yao began to flash across the middle of the lane to receive a quick entry pass. He made one quick move and put a shot up each time. He didn't miss once on this play. These plays got Yao involved, caused general chaos defensivly, opened up 3 point shooters and drew fouls. JVG has got to go back to this. 3. Active hands and alert heads on Utah pick and rolls = turnovers. 4. Yao came out on the elbow and smothered Boozer from time to time. We were burned twice, but we disrupted countless plays, and more times than not, help was ready for a driving Boozer. We CANNOT let Boozer sit on the elbow, survey the defense, and shoot an uncontested jumper/dish to a cutter. 5. T-Mac has to take the ball to the whole. We are a completly different team with an active T-Mac. 6. It would be nice if we kept hitting our wide open 3s. Hope springs on Thursday; Go Rockets!
Good analysis, but our defense, except in the 4th quarter, was pretty terrible. They got something like 8 layups in the 3rd quarter alone. They were extremely patient on offense, and broke us apart. I was nausiated as TMAC was playing great and they still outscored us in the 3rd........this can't continue in game 6. If they shoot 47% in Utah, they'll win, no question
Game 6 1. Match their energy level 2. Don't give up easy baskets (ie. layups or dunks) 3. Rebound 4. T-Mac: Don't settle for jumpshots, take it to the hole 5. Rafer, Battier, Juwan, Head: Make open shots 6. Play like it's Game 7
This is going to be a kinda captain obvious post but Shane and the rest of the role player brigade MUST make their open threes. Sloan is basically daring the Houston role players to beat him from the line. If T-Mac or Yao gets them the ball and they're wide open, they had better make a good percentage of those open shots. That and our 2 stars have got to be aggressive as hell. Winning in Utah is impossible with lethargic play, especially with the physicality the refs are allowing. Game 7 mentality, baby!
You'll see a lot of the same in Game 6 as in Games 1-5. The only way that changes is if JVG changes his strategy. Sloan won't, even though it has put him in a 2-3 hole thus far, but he just won't change. The question on JVG's end is will he switch Chuck and Yao defensively. I'm tempted to say he should, but then we are up in the series, so shoudl we mess with that?
I think Gundy will let Boozer get his early with Yao, then late in the 4th when we need a stop switch Hayes over to Boozer to confuse him and get the stop. Okur should be so out of rythm by then that his 3 shouldn't fall anyway.
LOL.. that was crazy... I couldn't believe he was that wide open and missed like that. I'm glad we won because I surely wouldn't be laughing about it now.
1. As usual, T-Mac to the rack 2. Get Yao going with quick hitters to beat dbl teams 3. Bench production - no less than 15pts 4. Skip at a minimum must give us 70% of what Deron gives the Jazz 5. Yao must step back when Boozer steps at the free throw line or beyond. Take your chance on the 17ft rainbow 6. No looking at the refs Yao, you're getting like Duncan 7. Yao needs to use the step thru move, with AK47 and Okur in the air before Yao shoots a step thru will simply draw fouls all day 8. Jump out early, don't let the crowd into the game
1. JVG need to adjust for Jazz's D, Game 5 4th q, Tmac is really hard to have chance to drive in. 2. Yao's energy. He have to put more energy on D. 3. Bench ????? 4. Skip , I belive him, 5. Hard, up to Boozer's hot or not. 6. F king refs 7. yeah 8. Hope so.
